By Kim Young-jin
Staff Reporter

The United States will look to ratify pending free trade agreements (FTAs) with South Korea and two other countries at an appropriate time after remaining issues are addressed, the country's top trade negotiator said Tuesday in Washington.

The U.S. is ``seeking to resolve outstanding issues with the pending free trade agreements that we have held in terms of Panama, Columbia and Korea,'' said U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk at a National Press Club meeting. ``And we've recognized we have to do those things in a way that allows us to work with Congress and others … to move forward at an appropriate time.''

Kirk emphasized the positive effects the deals would have in the U.S., saying they would create ``great market opportunities for our farmers, our ranchers and our entrepreneurs and our manufacturers'' and ``create jobs at home.''

He said the Obama administration is ``committed to resolving the issues related to each of these agreements,'' but did not elaborate on sticking points regarding the Korea-U.S Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), which was signed in 2007.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative, the lead agency responsible for shaping trade policy, submitted its 2010 Trade Policy Agenda to Congress last week.

In the document, it said: "With Korea, we are determining how best to address outstanding issues, particularly related to automobiles and beef. If these outstanding issues can be successfully resolved, we will work with Congress on a timeframe to submit them for Congressional consideration."

The statements come as the Obama administration is tackling urgent issues such as health care and financial reform. But it sees trade as a key component in addressing the country's unemployment. In his State of the Union address in January, President Obama said: "If America sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals, we will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores, and that's why we will strengthen our trade relations in Asia and with key partners like South Korea, Panama, and Colombia."

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